1. The Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the use of an educational, training, teaching or learning method and system, the elements of which may be implemented by way of computer or other conventional apparatus for use by individual or multiple student groups. The method and system may be used for instruction in any number of subjects, but is particularly suited to language training. The system employs multimedia computer technology as well as more conventional teaching and study aids.
2. The Relevant Technology
Instructional and teaching systems have been in existence for centuries, but their development has increased markedly during the "computer age" with the advent of multimedia technology and its many benefits. The overcrowding of schools, the increased knowledge expectation from students, and more hurried schedules increase the demand for an efficient teaching or learning system. In this environment, an efficient learning system, such as the present invention, permits an individual student to learn at her own pace, rather than that of the group, providing an instructor with the opportunity to spend more time working on students' particular needs, manage larger classes, or work with multiple classrooms thereby increasing efficiency and productivity.
In the current technology, computers have been implemented in the learning process in many ways. Systems which present a series of static lessons separated by a prompt-response testing procedure which determines whether the student will be allowed to progress to the next lesson or return to additional instruction on the tested subject in another format are known. These methods monitor student progress and disseminate additional information as the student progresses.
Also known are learning systems with material indexed by type, item and importance factor which selects an appropriate lesson according to user input and edits out parts of the lesson which are considered to be below the student's comprehension level.
Other learning systems employ computer technology, but are limited in scope to particular fields of instruction, such as instruction in the use of computer programs or limited in format to specific media, such as text and simulation exercises. Still other methods use lessons or objectives arranged in a predefined hierarchy. Other prior art references focus on monitoring and evaluation of the student rather than on instruction.
The majority of learning systems in the prior art utilize a static lesson format which is typically arranged in a predefined order. This format ignores the individual needs of each student and forces the student to conform to a static method which may not fit her specific needs. What is needed is a lesson format which dynamically adapts to the student's strengths and weaknesses using a system which gives the student more time to study the particular items which challenge her optimally and by providing a system which is not restricted by static lesson blocks.
The prior art also lacks a system or method for ensuring that learned information is stored in the student's mid or long term memory What is needed are systems and methods for review which ensure that the information is retained beyond short term memory so the student is more likely to retain the information for long periods of time.
Prior art references also lack the ability to allow the student to choose from optional study programs while providing a method for ensuring that each item is studied for a proper amount of time in an efficient sequence. What is needed are systems and methods which permit the student to specify activity sequencing.
While it is known to edit portions of lessons which the student has already mastered, no existing system ensures that the student is consistently and properly challenged using methods to filter learning content based on changing levels of complexity.
Also unknown in the prior art but needed is a method which allows the instructor to efficiently prepare a database so that it can be tagged and filtered for use according to specific conceptual content.
Also needed are systems and methods which allows the system to be used to simultaneously teach multiple languages to students with differing native languages. Such a system would allow one system to be used universally in many countries to learn multiple languages or other disciplines and allows the same system to be used to teach languages in both directions (i.e., Japanese to English and English to Japanese) simply by selecting the proper native and target languages. When configured with the proper databases such a system could conceivably be used to teach any language to any student.
Existing systems also lack effective memorization methods. What is needed are additional systems and methods which enhance memorization activities through hint and prompt techniques.